About the challenge
The challenge aims to encourage children and young people to take an active interest in their surroundings by inviting schools to investigate a topic related to their local area.
The award, promoted by City Development with the support of a number of sponsors from local businesses and organisations, is intended to encourage schools to explore real issues and suggest practical solutions which they and others should be able to put into practice.
The award is intended to enable schools to deliver the many objectives of the National Curriculum in real situations and encourage knowledge of road safety as well as community awareness.
2010-2011 winners
The 2010-2011 challenge Healthy Communities overall winner was Ashfield Primary School. The school challenged pupils to think about what people would want in an ideal community and they interviewed local people of all ages and pupils took questionnaires home to discuss with their families. The children worked in teams to design their ideal community and used recycled materials for much of the construction.
The best high school project was won by the Broomfield SILC. The pupils considered what could be done to improve the quality of life for people living there. They researched the area looking at public transport options, the post office, churches, fitness centres and talked to local people to gather their views.
The best primary school award went to Corpus Christi Primary School. The school linked the challenge into their geography classes, looking at what makes a sustainable community and how to promote an environmentally friendly place with a strong focus on recycling. Children went out into the local community to examine land use. They identified areas that could be improved and developed new ideas for recreation and exercise.
More information about the Healthy Communities winners can be downloaded from this page.
The Challenge for 2011 - 2012 - The School Run
- How active are you when you travel to and from school?
- How far do you travel each day to school?
- How do you travel at present: Walk, cycle, bus, train, car, other?
- What are the advantages to your chosen mode of transport, to you, is it quick, safe, healthy or is for convenience?
- What effect does this transport have on the environment, if any?
- Can any long term effect be reduced by changing the way you travel? Is there a problem at school caused by too many parents using their cars to bring children to school?
- How can this be improved?
- How can your journey to school improve your health?
- Are there any obstacles to you using a more healthy way of travelling? If so, what are they?
- Do you have a walking bus?
What we want you to do
We want you to look at the way you travel to school. Tell us how you travel now and what other alternatives there are to your present way of travelling. Are there any obstacles to walking or cycling to school that mean you have to be driven in a car? Consider the distance travelled to school and tell us why you travel the way you do and how this could be improved and made more community friendly.
You can download a full copy of the School Run brief from this page.
To register your initial interest and obtain an information pack on this challenge please contact:
Linda Banks, City Development, Leonardo Building, Leeds LS2 8HD
Tel: 0113 2476421
The main sponsor for the 2011/2012 challenge is Hermes.